India opener Shikhar Dhawan said he likes to open the batting with Murali Vijay and that he is looking forward to meeting his batting partner and having a ‘good laugh with him’ soon.
Shikhar Dhawan, speaking to R Ashwin in the latest episode of Reminisce with Ash on Instagram, said they do have arguments on the field over running between the wickets and other things but they get sorted quickly.
Dhawan, who shared a mammoth 289-run opening stand with Vijay on his Test debut in 2013, explained how different they are when it comes to approaching an innings. Notably, Vijay and Dhawan have played together in 24 Tests and have had some memorable stands over the years.
“He is a lovely character both on and off the field. I know him very closely. He is a beautiful soul. For everything he is a bit like ‘not like this, not like that’. I am a ‘bindaas’ character,” Shikhar Dhawwan said.
“I tell him ‘you’re like my wife’. Sometimes, when we don’t take a run, we have an argument but it gets sorted soon. And it’s very difficult to understand him. You need to have a calm mind and patience to understand him.
“But he is a lovely chap. I love opening with him. We have done very well for the country. We are still very good friends. Of course, I look forward to spending time with him and having a good laugh with him.
“Sometimes, when he says something, I don’t understand. But after 1-2 years, when I recall what he said, I understand it then.”
I will be very good at it: Dhawan on commentary plans
Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan said he is confident of becoming a fine commentator in the Hindi language post his retirement from competitive cricket.
Dhawan said he has plenty of options for his post-retirement life and that includes taking up flute more seriously than ever before. The India opener said he has been learning flute for 5 years now and is absolutely loving the experience.
“I have got a very good sense of humour. The day I enter commentary, I will be very good at it, in Hindi especially. My Hindi timing is (good) and my sense of humour is very very sharp. I will do it with a lot of love. I have a lot of options. I have a flute If I want to become a motivational speaker, then I will take my flute alongside me. I have so many tools to play around with,’ Dhawan said.
“I used to listen to flute music, even if someone plays on the road. I used to be there and wait and finish listening. I thought I would learn something. I started taking online classes. It’s been 5 years. I feel very happy now. I enjoy playing it. As cricketers, we say we don’t have time but we do have free time.
“Everyone should have a hobby. It keeps your mind calm, that is very, very important.”
